Poverty and Crime (Sociology) - 1600 Words

Ashley Duran Sociology 1101 August 9, 2010 Poverty and Crime A social issue that has always intrigued me was crime (petty crime, violent crime, etc) in impoverished urban areas and the social and economic impact that crime causes in these areas. Before conducting my research into this topic, I have always pondered why crime and poverty are so closely related. Are these two so closely linked solely because of the lack of income in the area? Or are there some other unknown or unexplained reasons that influence crime in impoverished urban areas? Does family structure influence crime and an individual’s participation in crime? Does the lack of community organization and structure, such as neighborhood†¦show more content†¦While looking into research on this topic of crime and poverty, I have found many studies that have been quite helpful. One study that was most beneficial to me was one done by Mary E. Pattillo and was titled â€Å"Sweet mothers and Gangbangers: Managing Crime in black Middle- Class neighborhoods†. In this study, Mary Pattillo examines why Black middle-class neighborhoods have higher internal poverty rates and are closer to high-poverty and high-crime areas than white middle-class neighborhoods. For her analysis, she uses ethnographic data from a black middle-class neighborhood in Chicago. Results show that stability in certain residential areas assist in the informal supervision of residents, mainly neighborhood youth and increase participation in formal activities. On the contrary, incorporating gang and drug elements into law abiding neighborhoods disrupt the efforts of neighborhood organization (social forces, 1998). Another study that helped me was one done by Bruce P. Kennedy and Vanita Gupta titled â€Å"Social Capital, Income Inequality, and Firearm Violent Crime†. In this study, researchers Kennedy and Gupta hypothesize that the effect of the growing gap between the rich and poor is mediated through an undermining of social cohesion,Show MoreRelatedSociology Is The Study Of Social Behavior969 Words   |  4 PagesSociology is the study of social behavior. Social behavior has to deal with a society, its development, organizations, and networks. Poverty, the struggling middle class, education and social mobility, inequality,  social class and the health care system, are also important aspects of sociology. In class, we are currently discussing social class. Social class is a division of a society that is heavily based upon social and economic status. In the United States, there are many cases in which povertyRead More4.Sociology Is The Study Of Society Using Empirical Investigation,1072 Words   |  5 Pages4. Sociology is the study of society using empirical investigation, data analysis, and assessment of theory to explore social life. It is also the study of societies influence on a person and the world around them. Sociology is one of the social sciences – disciplines that examine the human or social world. In summary, soci ology is the study of human groups and societies, giving emphasis to analysis of the cultures and subcultures of the industrialized world. There are many social factors to sociologyRead MoreRobert J. Sampson s Theories On Urban Neighborhoods And Criminal Behavior1292 Words   |  6 PagesRobert J. Sampson is a criminologist, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences and chair of the sociology department at Harvard University. He focuses heavily on the intersectionalities of race, poverty, age, and broken families in urban neighborhoods throughout his career. Robert emphasis that these intersectionalities are the causation of crime. Sampson is not a personality, biological, or opportunity theorist, but an soc-ecology theorist. He uses his theories that are more in a macro levelRead MoreSociology : How Human Action And Consciousness Shape The Surrounding Of Cultural And Social Culture1734 Words   |  7 PagesZygmunt Bauman once said, â€Å"The task for sociology is to come t o the help of the individual. We have to be in service of freedom. It is something we have lost sight of.† This quote means the main purpose of sociology is to help people with our freedom of service, because it is something we as people lost sight of. Sociology can be defined by Dictionary.com, as the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of socialRead MoreThe Effects Of Urbanization, Industrialization, And Immigration On The Chicago Neighborhood Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pages In 1892, The University of Chicago became the first university in the United States of America to establish a department of sociology (Panzarella Vona, 2013). Within a couple of years, the University of Chicago would become the leading university in developing criminal theories. The top professors of the sociology department studied in France and Germany where there is an emphasis placed on the social influence in human behavior by using official records, such as court and welfare records, asRead MoreTaking a Closer Look at Poverty1416 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is poverty? www.merriam-webster.com defines poverty as â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. â€Å"Many Americans mainly think that poor people consist of being unemployed, lazy, lack of education, etc. I even asked a few random people at Capital University, why people are poor and many said lack of employment and others mentioned having a hole in their poc ket and not being educated. Even though this may be true; many Americans lack theRead MoreDiscuss the Nature, Scope and Objectives of the Study of Criminology.1359 Words   |  6 Pagesthe study of Criminology. Crime has always accompanied mankind. The oldest order available to us today, like provided in the cave paintings in France and the old books as the Bible show that this was not a stranger to us hundreds or even thousands of years ago. We can even with these materials to draw a conclusion that the development of civilization has contributed to its creation. The formation of increasingly larger clusters of human foster the development of crime, as well as the presence ofRead MoreThe Relationship between Poverty and Crime879 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction Poverty and the relationship it has to crime is a long standing sociological, humanists and historical phenomenon. From the plight of the third world to the violence soaked inner city streets of the 1980’s, the relationship of crime and poverty has been the source of a great deal of social commentary. In societies throughout the world and throughout history there has always been a traditional measure of deviance through relative income gaps. Both poverty and crime as well as theirRead MoreThe Violent Crime Rate Of Highly Disadvantaged Black Areas904 Words   |  4 PagesThe violent crime rate in highly disadvantaged Black areas was 22 per 1,000 residents, not much different from the 20 per 1,000 rate in similar white communities. There are still many people who mistakenly believe there is something about the â€Å"black neighbourhoods that make them more violent and prone to crime† (Krivo, L) . Krivo is a co-author of this study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University.The research shows that neighbourhoods with the most crime tend to be those withRead MorePoverty, Social Disorganization And Their Effects On Crime Rates1444 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment #1 Poverty, Social Disorganization and Their Effects on Crime Rates SOC1A06 Professor Sandra Colavecchia Joseph Murray 400016517 Tuesday, October 20th 2015Part B Article 1 Hannon, L. (2002). Criminal opportunity theory and the relationship between poverty and property crime. Sociological Spectrum, 22(3), 363-381. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02732170290062676 Hannon, Analyzes the level of poverty present in neighbourhoods in Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington and the rates of